Find the Light

Find the Light...

                                                           

It’s one of the rules of Dinotopia (the miniseries, not the books), and it’s pretty great advice.  Lately, I’ve seen a lot of darkness coming from social media and the internet.  Technology is a wonderful thing, but I think it’s also dulled our sense of compassion and empathy.  It seems like I can’t read a news article, review or Facebook without navigating through a quagmire of negativity.

My kids would tell you I’m old, but I wasn't around for the invention of the telegraph.  For my generation, it was the telephone.  My kids may not understand what was exciting about a “cordless” phone, but I remember how awe-inspiring it was to not only have a phone you could walk around with, but wow!  What about that thing attached to the console of my car!?  I mean, it was the size of a toaster, but it was amazing!  I could call for help when my car broke down!  Phones meant I could talk to someone without leaving the house.

I can remember when my husband and I were dating back in high school.  We’d stay up late (tying up the phone line and irritating my parents to no end), chatting for hours about nothing and sometimes falling asleep cradling the phone.  Those were happy times, but I can also remember saying a lot of things I probably wouldn’t have said if he’d been standing in front of me.  It’s hard to think before I speak, but it’s harder when the person isn’t in front of me.  And other people seem to have the same problem.

The internet has brought loads of information to our fingertips, but it’s fostered a lot of hatred as well.  When there’s an inflammatory article, what’s the first thing many people do?  They scroll down to the comments.  The firestorm there is just as good as any soap opera and can be much more entertaining.  I’ll admit I’m an offender, but I'm trying to stop.  Why?  I began to wonder if people would be saying those hateful things if the other person was standing right in front of them.  Sometimes, I’m sure they would, but how many times do you think people hide behind their screens knowing they’ll never have to face that other person?

I’m a stay-at-home mom who loves to read and review books.  I try to be honest but fair when I write reviews, and yet I’ve been called a scammer, been accused of working for the publisher, and been told I’m just another super-fan whose comments don’t matter. These things hurt and I want to defend myself, tell these people they're wrong, but then I remember what I tell my kids.  When someone says something hurtful, I want them to ask: Is this person reliable?  Do I trust them?  My accusers are strangers and anonymous, so I choose not to respond.  They’re looking for an argument, and I don’t want to fall into the trap of arguing for argument’s sake.  I think there’s too much of that going around, and I’ve chosen not to add to it.

Overall, I believe there’s too many people with their ears shut and their mouths open.  People seem to be looking anywhere and everywhere for something to be angry about.  A novel, the presidency, a vote, a soundtrack, a kid’s movie – I’ve seen horrible, hateful comments about ALL these things in the past week.  And I’ve seen the attitude of “you don’t agree with me, which automatically makes you wrong.”  Everyone is so busy shouting their opinions to the rooftops that they don’t take the time to listen in love or consider another person’s point of view.

Someone told me recently that you find what you’re looking for, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot.  If we’re looking for things to fight about, we’ll find plenty of them.  I'm guilty of thinking poorly of someone who doesn't share my views or judging someone, but I want to change.  I’m only one person, and a hermit at that, but I can choose to shine light instead of spreading darkness.  So, today I’m going to put the darkness behind me and search for the Light.  Maybe it will touch someone's day and maybe it won't, but I'm still going to try.

God Bless.